Electric coupling.



PATENTED FEB. 21, 1905.

E. P. RUTH. ELECTRIC COUPLING.

APPLICATION FILED mm: 2, 190a.

fNVE/VTOR WITNESS-ES:

f5 W By Patented February 21, 1905.

UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

EDIVARD F. RUTH, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO CLEMENT H. WARNER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

ELECTRIC COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 783,080, da ed February 21, 1905. Application filed June 2, 1903. Serial No. 159,790.

To (tZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD F. RUTH, a citi- Zen of the United States, residing at Baltimore city, State of Maryland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in emergency electric couplers as applicable to cars where electricity is used as a motive power and for lighting purposes, the object of the invention being to provide a current for the car when such car has been disabled through accident to the trolley or otherwise rendered dead or powerless, and on occasions where the accident occurs at night the coupler can also be used as a means for conducting a current for lighting purposes, thus obviating the danger of a rear-end collision.

two parts, one of which is permanently attached to each end of the car, while the plugs constituting the second part are carried on the platform or placed under the seat of a car, whichever, is the most preferable. The plugs being small and weighing but a few pounds occupy but little space and can be carried without any inconvenience whatsoever. When a car becomes disabled by reason of a broken o trolley-pole or any of the mechanism pertaining thereto, the car being deprived of its motive power is powerless to proceed along its route, and it is necessary for another car either to run back and pull it or to come up 3 5 from the rear and push the disabled car along to prevent it from blockading the trafiic on the line, and while this is being done the disabled car is in darkness and is uncontrollable at motor. By means of my coupler, however, which requires but a few minutes to attach, the current from the rescue-car is conducted to the motor and to the lighting devices of the disabled ear, thereby illuminating the car and at the same time making the car controllable while being drawn over the line. All this is accomplished by the motorman simply inserting the plugs with which the car is provided into their respective sockets, one plug being inserted into that part of the coupler which The coupler is composed, preferably, of but is permanently attached to one end of his car and the other plug being received in the socket formed in the coupling-box located permanently on the end of the rescue-car, the plugs being connected with each other by means of suitably-insulated copper wires. In this manner the motor of the disabled car is instantaneously supplied with current, and the cars can proceed to their destination.

My invention further consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts, such as will be more fully described hereinafter and particularly pointed out in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, partly in section,showing my device applied; and Fig. 2 is a detail perspective view of the adjacent ends of the plug and connecting-box.

In the drawings, 1 indicates a round shaft, made of brass, copper, or other suitable conducting metal. Although I have shown a round shaft, it is obvious that it can be of any configuration desired. Intermediate the ends of this shaft is located an exteriorly-insulated square head 2, the shaft projecting on each side of the head, which latter is provided with shoulders 7 7, adapted to be engaged by the spring-latch 6, as hereinafter set forth. A connecting-box 3, which may be formed of some suitable insulating material, is provided, the boxes being permanently located one at each end of the car, so that the latter may be connected with the front or rear end of the rescue-car, and these boxes are each provided with a longitudinal socket or aperture of round or other suitable shape in cross-section to correspond with the shape of the shaft 1, which socket extends entirely through the box and is lined throughout with a copper cylinder or tube 9. A plug t is removably fitted into one end of the tube, from which plug extend the wires 5 5, leading to the motor of the car. Located exteriorly of the box is aflat steel springlatch 6, the free end of which projects beyond the box and is provided with a hooked end to engage the shoulders 7 7 on the head 2, whereby to retain the forward or inner end of the plug or shaft 1 tightly within the opposite end of the cylinder 9 from that occupied by the plug 4 to prevent arcing. The plugs or shafts 1 1 are removably received in the ends of the adjacent boxes 3 3, carried by the disabled and the rescue cars, respectively, the plugs 1 1 being flexibly and electrically connected by means of the suitably-insulated wires 8 8, extending between the rear or outer ends of the plugs, whereby to conduct the current from one car to the other.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The combination with a plurality of cars, of suitably-supported connecting-boxes located at the adjacent ends of each car, each box having a socket passing therethrough, a conducting-sleeve located in the socket, plugs adapted to this specification in presence of two wit- 3 IIGSSQS.

EDWARD F. RUTH.

Witnesses:

R031. 0. Rnonns, E. VVAL'roN BREWING'ION. 

